A native of Tunisia who was living in Canada was convicted Tuesday of an act of terrorism for the stabbing of a police officer at the international airport in Flint, Michigan.
Amor Ftouhi, who faces a maximum of life in prison, was convicted by a jury after only an hour of deliberation, WXYZ-TV reported.
He allegedly entered Bishop International Airport on June 20, 2017, walked up to Lt. Jeff Neville and stabbed him with a knife while yelling “Allahu Akhbar.”
Often mistranslated “God is great,” the phrase is Arabic for “Allah is the greatest,” or “Allah is supreme” over all other gods.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Ftouhi entered the U.S. from Canada on June 16, 2017. After unsuccessfully attempting to purchase a gun, he bought a knife, the station reported.
Ftouhi told law-enforcement agents after the attack he was a “soldier of Allah” who followed al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden.
‘Quintessential example of jihad’
Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch, noted the case received very little establishment media attention, possibly “because it is such a quintessential example of jihad.”
Ftouhi not only screamed “Allahu akbar” as he stabbed the officer, he struck him in the neck, Spencer pointed out, as commanded in Quran 47:4.
MLive reported one of the agents who interrogated Ftouhi, FBI Special Agent Shadi Elreda, said Ftouhi told him “his mission was to kill a United States government employee.”
“His mission was to kill and be killed. He said his mission was not over. He said he would have a better chance of success and enter into heaven,” Elreda testified.
“He said they needed to act against the enemies of Allah. He blamed the United States government for their support of Israel.”
The FBI agent said Ftouhi cried because he failed.
The MLive report said Ftouhi told investigators he visited a few mosques in Flint before heading to the airport.
Spencer, noting 72 jihad terrorists have come to the U.S. from the countries listed in President Trump’s initial immigration ban, presented examples of other Muslim immigrants who have killed:
- Somali Muslim migrant Mohammad Barry in February 2016 stabbed multiple patrons at a restaurant owned by an Israeli Arab Christian;
- Ahmad Khan Rahami, an Afghan Muslim migrant, in September 2016 set off bombs in New York City and New Jersey;
- Arcan Cetin, a Turkish Muslim migrant, in September 2016 murdered five people in a mall in Burlington, Washington;
- Dahir Adan, another Somali Muslim migrant, in October 2016 stabbed mall shoppers in St. Cloud while screaming “Allahu akbar”;
- And Abdul Razak Artan, another Somali Muslim migrant, in November 2016 injured nine people with car and knife attacks at Ohio State University.
